Indorama Ventures and AMB Spa unveil industrial-scale recyclable multilayer trays supporting European Union circular economy goals.
Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited, a global sustainable chemicals producer, has partnered with AMB Spa, a major European packaging solutions provider, to launch an advanced multilayer PET tray designed to improve recyclability and support circular packaging goals in Europe.
The newly developed tray incorporates recycled PET flakes in its inner core layer while maintaining virgin, food-grade PET on the outer surfaces. This structure delivers the required standards for food safety, transparency, and sealing performance expected by brand owners and regulators, while significantly boosting recycled content. Importantly, the tray remains recyclable after use, enabling a closed-loop system that keeps PET materials in high-value applications instead of being downcycled.
The innovation supports compliance with the European Union’s upcoming Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), including the objective of achieving an average of 30% recycled content in plastic packaging by 2030. It also offers retailers and food producers a practical transition option without requiring major changes to existing packaging operations.
Advancing Circular Solutions for Food Packaging : Multilayer PET trays play a critical role in preserving food quality, extending shelf life, and reducing waste. Studies indicate that PET trays can significantly increase product shelf life while lowering food waste levels. However, improving recycling rates remains a key priority. Currently, approximately one-third of PET trays in Europe are collected for recycling, and this proportion is expected to grow as technology advances and industry collaborations expand.
Industry leaders involved in the project emphasize that the development demonstrates how complex packaging formats can be aligned with circular-economy objectives through innovation and cooperation. The initiative also highlights the importance of building effective recycling pathways for multilayer materials to reduce environmental impact and greenhouse gas emissions.
Production of the new tray structure is already underway at Indorama Ventures’ recycling facility in Verdun, France, with finished products being supplied to customers in the United Kingdom and wider European rollout planned.
This latest milestone builds on earlier collaboration between the two companies that began in 2023, which focused on improving the recyclability of PET trays. The partnership has since progressed to full-scale production, enabling tray-to-tray recycling through a design-for-recycling approach and offering a practical circular solution for high-performance food packaging applications.